backtrack

verb

back·​track ˈbak-ˌtrak 

backtracked; backtracking; backtracks

intransitive verb

1

a

: to retrace one's course

b

: to go back to an earlier point in a sequence

2

: to reverse a position

Examples of backtrack in a Sentence

The hikers realized they had made a wrong turn and would have to backtrack.

Let me backtrack for a moment and pick up our previous conversation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Successive presidents have pledged to remove the subsidy, which drains a hefty chunk of government revenue — and later backtracked fearing mass unrest. —Ismail Auwal Taiwo Aina, New York Times, 11 June 2024

But throughout the negotiations, Hamas has repeatedly proven to be unreliable -- shifting its demands and often backtracking right when all parties seemed to be on the cusp of a deal, according to sources familiar with the matter. —Shannon K. Crawford, ABC News, 31 May 2024

Over three days the train would bear north on the eastern coast to Taman Negara, then backtrack and head up Malaysia’s more populated west coast to Penang, before looping back to Singapore. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2024

The ban was short-lived, though, as the school district backtracked after major backlash. —The Week Staff, theweek, 24 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

backtrack

verb

back·​track ˈbak-ˌtrak 

1

: to go back over a course or path

2

: to reverse a position or stand